Paper cutter



L. D. BARLEY June 18, 1968 PAPER CUTTER Original Filed Jan. 28, 1966 FIG -3 INVENTOR.

LEO D. BARLEY iu'ToRNEYs United States Patent Ofice 3,388,813 Patented June 18, 1968 3,388,813 PAPER CUTTER Leo D. Barley, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Harris-Intertype Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Original application Jan. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 523,754. Divided and this application Mar. 9, 1967, Ser. No.

Claims. c1. 214-1.6)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A back gage for use with large paper cutters includes adjustable support members of synthetic resinous material having a low coetficient of friction in sliding engagement with the table of the paper cutter. A gauging member is installed adjacent each supporting member to permit alignment of the back gage with respect to the table.

Related applications This application is a division of United States patent application Ser. No. 523,754, filed Jan. 28, 1966.

Summary of the invention This invention relates to an improved back gage for use with large paper cutters, and particularly to novel means to support the back gage 0n the table of the paper cutter and to further means to align the back gage with respect to the table.

In large paper cutters or trimmers, a pile of sheet material is normally placed on a work table and a movable back gage is brought into engagement with the pile. The back gage and the pile are then removed to position the pile beneath a cutting knife where it may be clamped prior to cutting. The back gage may then move the pile forward to a new position where the cutting process may be repeated.

The present invention is directed to a novel arrangement for supporting the back gage on the table and to additional means associated with the supporting means to permit the proper alignment of the back gage with re- Spect to the work table. Such alignment is, of course, desirable to reduce wear of the back gage supporting members and to insure the proper clearance of the back gage from the table. The novel supporting members also reduce the friction between the back gage and the work table and thus reduce the load on the back gage drive.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel back gage support which includes a plurality of adjustable means slidably supporting the back gage in spaced relation to the table on a bearing surface formed from a synthetic resinous material having a flow coefficient of friction; and to provide gauge means associated with the adjustable support means to permit the proper adjustment of the support means to space the back gage evenly from the table.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings In the drawings-- FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a typical paper outter employing a back gage utilizing the supporting members of this invention, with the side gauge of the paper cutter partly broken away for illustration;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the back gage and part of the work table showing the positions of several of the back gage supporting members of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the back gage showing a back gage support member and alignment gauge; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view showing one modification of the back gage support member.

Detailed description of the drawings Referring to the drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of this invention, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a paper cutter is shown provided with a table 10 onto which may be placed a pile of paper to be cut. A back gage 12 is movable along the table and is adapted to engage the pile of paper and push it into position under the knife 14 mounted in holder 15. Immediately prior to cutting, the paper may be held against movement by clamp member 16. The extent of the sideward movement of the paper is limited by a side gage 18 mounted on both sides of the table 10. The side gage 18 in FIG. 1 is shown partially cut away to allow a full view of the back gage.

The position of the back gage may be determined by the operator from the front of the machine by observing the indicia on a metal tape 20 reeved on pulleys 21 and 22 and driven by the back gage through the upstanding arm 23. Power to move the back gage is supplied by a motor 27 which rotate a lead screw 28 through a clutch mechanism generally indicated at 29. The lead screw may also be rotated by hand from the front of the machine by turning handle 30. Surrounding the lead screw 28 and in driving engagement therewith is a driving nut 32 which is securely attached to the back gage mechanism through a slot 33 in the table 10.

A control mechanism may also be provided to position the back gage automatically to preselected locations with respect to the cutting knife so that a series of cuts may be made on the pile of paper. In one application, the control mechanism consists of a magnetic drum 35 extending along the length of the back gage above the table 10. This magnetic drum may have marks magnetically placed thereon which may be detected by a pair of magnetic pickup members 36 mounted on an amplifier box 37 secured to the back gage 12. A more complete description of the magnetic control of the back gage may be found in United States Patent No. 3,195,385, issued July 20, 1965.

The back gage 12 is supported on bearings formed from a synthetic resinous material having a low coefficient of friction, such as nylon, on the table 10 by a set of adjust-able supporting members 44 threaded into the opening 45 in the extended horizontal portion of the back gage 12. These adjustable members may be formed from a metallic bolt member 46 having a wrench fitting at its upper end and a threaded nylon portion 47 secured to the bolt 46 at the upper end and in sliding engagement with the table 10 at its lower end. A locking nut 48 is also pro vided to prevent rotation of the members once they are properly adjusted.

A gauge 50 is also permanently available adjacent each nylon supporting member to insure proper clearance and leveling of the back gage 12 with respect to table 10. This gauge comprises a metallic depth pin 50 having a length accurately determined so that the upper surface 51 of the pin will be flush with the adjacent surface of the back gage 12 when the pin is in engagement with the table 10 and the proper clearance of about .003 inch, indicated at 52, exists between the lowermost portion of the back gage 12 and the table 10.

An alternative embodiment of the back gage supporting member 44 is shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment a nylon plug 55 is inserted into the opening 45 in the back gage and a threaded metallic adjustment screw 56 is threaded through the upper portion of the back gage.

The screw 56 is also provided with an opening 57 adapted. to receivetan Allen wrench while a locking nut 58 prevents rotation once the plug is properly adjusted.

A back gage support mechanism has therefore been described which is especially useful on large scale paper cutters. An alignment means insures that the back gage is clear of and properly aligned with the upper surface of the table.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparaus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cutting apparatus of the type including a table for supporting a pile of sheet material to be cut, cutting means mounted on said table, a back gage movable on said table and adapted to position said pile with respect to said cutting means, said back gage including a horizontally extending portion having a plurality of threaded openings therein, and drive means for moving said back gage, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of adjustable support means for slidably supporting said back gage in spaced relation relative to said table, each of said support means including;

bearing means formed from an essentially synthetic resinous material having a low coefiicient of friction supporting said back gage in sliding engagement above said table, each of said bearing means being cylindrical in shape and having a diameter such that it may be received into its corresponding opening in said back gage;

a threaded shaft adjustably mounted in each of said threaded openings in said back gage and extending downwardly toward said table and into engagement with said bearing means to position said back gage a predetermined distance above said table.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including, gauge means positioned in close proximity to at least one adjustable support means and extending through an opening in said horizontally extending portion of the back gage, said gauge means having a length accurately determined so that a designated portion of the gauge means will be flush with the upper surface of the horizontally extending portion of the back gage when the gauge means is in engagement with said table and the predetermined clearance exists between the lowermost portion of the back gage and said table.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the openings in said back gage are threaded substantially throughout the length thereof and wherein said bearing means include external threads formed thereon and adapted to be received into said threaded openings.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said openings are threaded at their upper portion and wherein the cylindrical bearing means may be slidably received into the lower portion of said openings.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further including locking means on each of the threaded shafts to prevent rotation thereof after they are adjusted to position the back gage a predetermined distance above said table.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,933,754 4/1960 Winans 1642 3,032,209 5/1962 Mead 214-l.6 3,073,591 1/1963 Cosentino 271-54 3,115,696 12/1963 Evans 3083 X ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

F. E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner. 

